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Category Archives: WMAL Politics Page

Trump gives Mike Johnson last-minute boost ahead of uncertain speaker vote

Trump gives Mike Johnson last-minute boost ahead of uncertain speaker vote

President-elect Donald Trump wished Speaker Mike Johnson good luck ahead of Friday’s vote to elect a speaker of the House, but whether Mr. Trump’s backing is enough for him to win the gavel again is still in the air. “Good luck today for Speaker Mike Johnson, a fine man of great ability, who is very close to having 100% support,” Mr. Trump said on Truth Social…Read more

Drug cartels have become Mexico’s 5th-largest employer

Drug cartels have become Mexico’s 5th-largest employer

Some 175,000 people now actively work for Mexico’s smuggling cartels, according to a shocking new estimate that would make them the country’s fifth-largest private employer. The cartels’ secret is their viciously efficient ability to recruit, said Rafael Prieto-Curiel, who led the researchers and who said the cartels are the country’s…Read more

Racist pro-Trump vandalism at college was carried out by fraudster

Racist pro-Trump vandalism at college was carried out by fraudster

A racist pro-Trump message found at a Tennessee college is the latest example of a fraudster seeking to stoke fear by perpetrating a fake hate crime. Rhodes College in Memphis said the culprit admitted to carrying out and reporting the vandalism, with the intention of blaming someone else. The school didn’t release the perpetrator’s name. “Thanks to the tireless efforts of our…Read more

Trump says House Speaker Mike Johnson needs to be ‘tough’ to remain in leadership post

Trump says House Speaker Mike Johnson needs to be ‘tough’ to remain in leadership post

President-elect Donald Trump said Thursday that House Speaker Mike Johnson needs to act “decisively and tough” if he wants to remain in his position. Speaking with Fox News Digital, Mr. Trump said Mr. Johnson will “easily remain speaker” if he acts properly and gets rid of “all of the traps being set by Democrats” in the stopgap measure Congress is trying to get passed by midnight…Read more

Chinese military adds hundreds of missiles to arsenal, Pentagon report reveals

Chinese military adds hundreds of missiles to arsenal, Pentagon report reveals

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army has added hundreds of new missiles and 100 more nuclear warheads as part of a military buildup designed for a future war with the United States, according to a Pentagon report made public Wednesday. The latest survey of Chinese military power also for the first time reveals extensive PLA preparations for sophisticated information warfare…Read more

Democrats introduce constitutional amendment to abolish Electoral College

Democrats introduce constitutional amendment to abolish Electoral College

Even when they lose the popular vote, Democrats still want to take it out on the Electoral College. Three Democratic senators introduced a constitutional amendment Monday to abolish the body that has formally elected the president for the nation’s entire history. Sens. Brian Schatz of Hawaii, Richard J. Durbin of Illinois and Peter Welch of Vermont said it is time to “restore democracy”…Read more

Feds insist drones aren’t dangerous but can’t say who’s flying them

Feds insist drones aren’t dangerous but can’t say who’s flying them

New Jersey leaders are not buying the Biden administration’s explanation that most of the drones reported swarming the state’s coastline in recent weeks are regular aircraft, saying that’s a demeaning answer given what residents have seen with their own eyes. Gov. Phil Murphy has urged President Biden to get personally involved, while members of New Jersey’s congressional…Read more

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Category Archives: WMAL Politics Page

Trump gives Mike Johnson last-minute boost ahead of uncertain speaker vote

Trump gives Mike Johnson last-minute boost ahead of uncertain speaker vote

By Alex Miller The Washington Times Friday, January 3, 2025

President-elect Donald Trump wished Speaker Mike Johnson good luck ahead of Friday’s vote to elect a speaker of the House, but whether Mr. Trump’s backing is enough for him to win the gavel again is still in the air.

“Good luck today for Speaker Mike Johnson, a fine man of great ability, who is very close to having 100% support,” Mr. Trump said on Truth Social. “A win for Mike today will be a big win for the Republican Party, and yet another acknowledgment of our 129 year most consequential Presidential Election!! — A BIG AFFIRMATION, INDEED. MAGA!”

Whether Mr. Johnson, Louisiana Republican, does win back the speakership is not guaranteed.

There are still enough undecided Republicans to sink his bid to remain speaker. He can only afford to lose two votes, and Rep. Thomas Massie, Kentucky Republican, has vowed to vote against him.

Links to https://www.washingtontimes.com/chris/

The speaker vote is the first order of business in the House to kick off a new Congress, and if lawmakers cannot coalesce around someone, the lower chamber is effectively at a standstill.

Mr. Johnson and many other House Republicans have warned that if the speaker vote is not wrapped up quickly, it will delay the certification of the 2024 election results and push back their timeline of implementing Mr. Trump’s agenda.

Friday’s vote will again test the limits of a Trump endorsement and his influence over the House Republican Conference. Before lawmakers left for Christmas, Mr. Trump’s call for the extension, or outright termination, of the government’s debt limit was blocked by hard-line Republican debt hawks.

Many of those same lawmakers are withholding their support of Mr. Johnson. The speaker spent much of Thursday meeting with the holdouts to try and get their backing, but they left without spilling whether the speaker had changed their minds.

Mr. Trump offered to call lawmakers on the fence or willing to vote against Mr. Johnson, and did so with Rep. Chip Roy, Texas Republican.

Republicans have warned Mr. Johnson not to cut any deals with the holdouts like his predecessor, former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, did to win the gavel in a grueling, four-day marathon of roll call votes.

Man behind deadly New Orleans attack made videos discussing ISIS allegiance, desire to kill family

Man behind deadly New Orleans attack made videos discussing ISIS allegiance, desire to kill family

The Army veteran behind the deadly New Year’s Day terrorist attack in New Orleans made videos professing his allegiance to the Islamic State terror group and laying out his plans to kill family members. Law enforcement officials said Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar, 42…Continue Reading

Drug cartels have become Mexico’s 5th-largest employer

Drug cartels have become Mexico’s 5th-largest employer

Some 175,000 people now actively work for Mexico’s smuggling cartels, according to a shocking new estimate that would make them the country’s fifth-largest private employer. The cartels’ secret is their viciously efficient ability to recruit, said Rafael Prieto-Curiel, who led the researchers and who said the cartels are the country’s…Continue Reading

Jimmy Carter, 39th U.S. president, dies at 100; tributes laud compassionate statesman, ‘dear friend’

Jimmy Carter, 39th U.S. president, dies at 100; tributes laud compassionate statesman, ‘dear friend’

Jimmy Carter, the Georgia peanut farmer and naval officer who became the 39th president of the United States and eventually the nation’s longest-living president, died Sunday. He was 100 years old and survived almost two years after entering hospice care in February 2023. The Carter Center posted on social media Sunday afternoon that the…Continue Reading

Racist pro-Trump vandalism at college was carried out by fraudster

Racist pro-Trump vandalism at college was carried out by fraudster

A racist pro-Trump message found at a Tennessee college is the latest example of a fraudster seeking to stoke fear by perpetrating a fake hate crime. Rhodes College in Memphis said the culprit admitted to carrying out and reporting the vandalism, with the intention of blaming someone else. The school didn’t release the perpetrator’s name. “Thanks to the tireless efforts of our…Continue Reading

Trump says House Speaker Mike Johnson needs to be ‘tough’ to remain in leadership post

Trump says House Speaker Mike Johnson needs to be ‘tough’ to remain in leadership post

President-elect Donald Trump said Thursday that House Speaker Mike Johnson needs to act “decisively and tough” if he wants to remain in his position. Speaking with Fox News Digital, Mr. Trump said Mr. Johnson will “easily remain speaker” if he acts properly and gets rid of “all of the traps being set by Democrats” in the stopgap measure Congress is trying to get passed by midnight…Continue Reading

Chinese military adds hundreds of missiles to arsenal, Pentagon report reveals

Chinese military adds hundreds of missiles to arsenal, Pentagon report reveals

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army has added hundreds of new missiles and 100 more nuclear warheads as part of a military buildup designed for a future war with the United States, according to a Pentagon report made public Wednesday. The latest survey of Chinese military power also for the first time reveals extensive PLA preparations for sophisticated information warfare…Continue Reading

Democrats introduce constitutional amendment to abolish Electoral College

Democrats introduce constitutional amendment to abolish Electoral College

Even when they lose the popular vote, Democrats still want to take it out on the Electoral College. Three Democratic senators introduced a constitutional amendment Monday to abolish the body that has formally elected the president for the nation’s entire history. Sens. Brian Schatz of Hawaii, Richard J. Durbin of Illinois and Peter Welch of Vermont said it is time to “restore democracy”…Continue Reading

Feds insist drones aren’t dangerous but can’t say who’s flying them

Feds insist drones aren’t dangerous but can’t say who’s flying them

New Jersey leaders are not buying the Biden administration’s explanation that most of the drones reported swarming the state’s coastline in recent weeks are regular aircraft, saying that’s a demeaning answer given what residents have seen with their own eyes. Gov. Phil Murphy has urged President Biden to get personally involved, while members of New Jersey’s congressional…Continue Reading

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